


be my valentine

by WattStalf



Series: Edith Blake [4]
Category: Watchmen - All Media Types
Genre: Eddie is the only one genderbent, F/F, Femslash February, Rule 63, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 06:07:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5994292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WattStalf/pseuds/WattStalf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Edie decides to give a valentine to Sally.</p>
            </blockquote>





	be my valentine

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I had to do something for Valentine's Day,but I couldn't think of anything for a while. This idea was kinda lame, but it's all I got.

Valentine's Day. Edith Blake had absolutely no interest in a holiday like that. She wasn't pretty, she wasn't sweet, she wasn't attractive in any sort of way, and she wasn't the sort to get presents from boys. If she hadn't dropped out of school already, she wouldn't have been one of the girls getting cards and candy from secret admirers, and in the world she lived in now, even sparing the holiday a thought seemed stupid.

She worked all day and she worked hard, because you had to work hard if you were going to survive alone in New York, especially if you were a girl her age, and she spent her nights and what daytime she wasn't at work as the Comedian, one of the most fearsome vigilantes in the city. Edie didn't have time for romantic bullshit like that, and she wasn't expecting jackshit from her fellow Minutemen. In fact, she would look down on any of them who tried to celebrate when they had more important stuff to worry about.

She was the youngest of them, so they should all know just as well as her that that sort of thing had no place in their lives and if she had to watch the guys shower Sally in flowers and half-hearted confessions, she would puke, she was sure of it. It was bullshit, the whole holiday, the whole concept, and she wanted absolutely no part of it.

So what was she doing here, spending what little extra money she had? She had no reason to spend it, and especially not on this. Not on these stupid chocolates in the stupid heart-shaped box with the stupid pun on it that wasn't even funny (but she caught herself laughing anyway). Not this stupid box of candy for a stupid girl that she hated and also felt that she might love, which made her feel just as stupid as she thought everything else was.

She didn't know _why_ she felt that way about Sally, of course. It was confusing enough that she felt that way for another girl- though she had never had any interest in boys and they had never had any interest in her- but Sally Jupiter, of all people. Edie couldn't stand her, because she was so beautiful and perfect and everyone adored her. But at some point, she found that she couldn't stop thinking about her and that sometimes, her thoughts weren't as hateful as they should have been.

Even worse were when the thoughts progressed to a certain point, and even if she didn't truly hate Sally, she hated the sleepless nights that she caused, waking up in a sweat, tangled up in her sheets with a hand between her legs. She didn't know if she loved Sally or if she just wanted her, but she wasn't sure if she would ever know the difference, and somehow those feelings drove her to this.

It was the night before Valentine's Day and she stared down at the box in her hand as she waited in line. She was the only girl in the store, crowded with men buying last minute presents for their wives, and she returned ever strange look she received with a glare that made sure they didn't look back. The joke on the box was bad- there was a drawing of a boy and a girl in a canoe, with the phrase “Canoe Be My Valentine?” in pretty script- but it was slim pickings and she couldn't afford anything better.

She couldn't justify the purchase in her mind, but no matter how she reminded herself of all the reasons that she shouldn't, she couldn't bring herself to put it back. Sally would laugh in her face; hell, if anyone gave _her_ something like this, she'd do that _and_ deck them for it, especially if it was some kid on her team, especially when she was just doing the hero thing for publicity like Sally. This was a bad idea no matter how she looked at it, but she never put the heart back and soon enough, she was walking back home with the valentine in hand. The next day, she would try to convince herself not to give it to Sally, but she knew that, in the end, she would lose that battle as well.

~X~

The flowers from Byron were unexpected. She'd always figured he was the same way she was, always figured he had his eye on Bill, but he shoved a bouquet in her face, stammering, “H-here, Edie, these are for you...”

“Why?” she asked, quirking a brow at him. He blushed, shrinking back.

“B-because, well, it's Valentine's Day and I thought...” Again, he extended his hand, trying to get her to take the bouquet.

“Well don't leave the poor boy in suspense,” said Sally with a giggle, and Edie grew angry at Byron for doing this in front of everyone. How dare he give Sally the wrong idea like this?

She snatched them from him, muttering, “Thanks, I guess.” He gave her a weak smile, as if waiting for something else, but she didn't say anything. Finally, he took the hint and backed off and she watched the exchange before her.

With only three girls on the team, there weren't enough to go around, but that didn't matter to some of the men, she knew. It wasn't surprising to her that Nelson had nothing for anyone, or that Hooded Justice was as stoic as always as he presented Sally with her flowers. She thought it was bold of Hollis to give his gift to Sally right after, right in front of everyone, but perhaps he had HJ figured out too and wasn't afraid.

Bill had something for Sally too, but he also had something for Ursula and even for Edie. He was just that sort of guy, trying to include everyone, or perhaps he fancied himself a lady killer just because he was popular with teenage girls. Edie couldn't help but notice the chocolate he got her was cheap, cheaper than the bouquet he gave Sally or the chocolate he gave Ursula.

Edie waited until the meeting was over, keeping her valentine for Sally hidden. Unlike Byron or Hollis, she wouldn't be stupid enough to show her feelings like that in front of everyone. If she had Sally alone, things would be better; maybe she would be more open to accept it without anyone else watching to add pressure.

When they were dismissed and everyone began to filter out, she mumbled, “Sal, can I talk to ya for a second?”

Sally, who was just on her way out the door, turned around. “Sure, Edie. What for?”

“Just uh...stuff.” She glared at Hollis, who looked as if he wanted to hang back to talk to Sally, and he left, striking up conversation with Byron as he did. Finally, they were all gone, leaving Edie alone with Sally.

“So, what is it?”

“I...this.” Edie pulled out the box, holding it out to Sally. “I got this for ya.”

Sally blinked, staring at the present. “What's this?”

“What's it look like? It's a present, ya know, candy. For...” She shrugged. “Ya know.”

For a few painfully quiet moments, Sally stared. Then a grin broke out across her face and she looked back up at Edie. “Oh, Edie,” she said with a sigh and then she began to laugh. “You're not supposed to give something like this to _me_ , you know.”

“I wasn't...”

“I appreciate the gesture and all but...” She trailed off, laughing harder. “Don't you understand? You're supposed to give this sort of thing to a boy, not to one of your friends.” Shaking her head, she managed to steady her laughter.

Edie watched as Sally studied the box, sneering at the childish illustration and the stupid joke, and hated herself as much as she hated Sally. She knew this was a bad idea, she had known from the start, but that hadn't been enough to stop her and now Sally was laughing at her and she couldn't take it back. Sally didn't understand the meaning behind the gift, but Edie knew then that if she tried to explain it, it would only make the situation worse.

“It's cute, I guess,” she said, handing the box back to Edie, “but I'm on a diet anyway, so I can't accept it.”

Snatching the box, she felt the urge to throw a punch, to knock Sally down a few pegs and show her just who she was laughing at. Instead, she stalked out of the room, muttering, “It was just a joke anyway.”


End file.
